Chapter 37
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Contamination Core
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“Huaaah!”
Isel let out a cry of pure joy.
The door leading to the next layer.
Even if it was cloaked with optical illusion magic, it wasn’t enough to fool the human eye.
Seeing it meant they had reached the end of this layer.
The sense of accomplishment from enduring all that torment was beyond words.
But not every student could accept it at face value.
Those who had been dragging their feet all stared in disbelief, rubbing their eyes.
Then, as they suddenly walked toward the door, a crunching sound echoed in the silence.
It was the sound of hardened sand, swept by what felt like a rainstorm, crumbling underfoot.
They collapsed at the end, as if sucked forward, glimpsing the faint afterimage of an artificial structure.
“Finally.”
With that as the cue, the students toppled over like felled stalks of wheat.
Some let out sighs of relief, others rejoiced purely like Isel, and a few grumbled.
Their reactions varied, but all shared a deep sense of fulfillment.
The achievement of having made it, of not giving up.
They had pushed through the endless, labyrinthine cave filled with loathsome monsters.
Because of the hardship, they could brush off the tension and rejoice.
Normally, the moment after battle was the most dangerous, but Radia held back from warning them to stay alert.
She glanced at the silent Aiden.
Even if she didn’t say it, with that professor here, no mishaps would occur.
So Radia allowed herself to focus on the joy as well.
“…Can I really stop now? For real…….”
Her words came out as a complaint, despite her elated heart.
The students shot glances at Radia, whose hair had turned completely white.
They hadn’t noticed before, too busy surviving, but she had suffered the most.
Feeling sorry, they wanted to offer thanks, but……
Seeing her completely burned out, with smoke still rising thickly, left them speechless.
Burned white……
Pure white.
Isel rushed to Radia in horror.
“Senior! If you achieve enlightenment like that…….”
She grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously, the action dragging on longer than expected.
* * *
“Quite impressive.”
The Magic Tower’s dispatched mage scanned the students.
Not a single one was unscathed, their appearances bedraggled, yet they flaunted their ragged states like badges of honor.
With results to show, no appearance was shameful.
The mage grudgingly acknowledged it.
But no one could have predicted what came next.
“As expected of Professor Aiden’s class.”
Ex……?
What? Professor Aiden’s class?
Radia stared at the mage in bewilderment.
‘Did I hear that right?’
What did that blond professor even do?
Stand back with hands clasped, leisurely reading?
Or occasionally show up to annoy them?
No matter what, the credit shouldn’t go like that.
As Radia opened her mouth to speak, Aiden cut in.
“You flatter me. It was simply my students’ efforts.”
Right. We did all the work. Before Radia could nod emphatically, the mage took it as modesty and smiled warmly.
“As expected of Professor Aiden. I had no expectations, yet you brought your students this far. I’ve heard you even turned down a high imperial post…… Indeed…….”
He showered admiration and looks of respect.
Aiden, remaining silent……
Looked embarrassed.
‘Deny it, damn it.’
That silence was tacit agreement.
Talk about the fox preaching to the hens……
As Radia nearly exploded, the other students held her back.
Mainly Isel, hugging her and pleading for her not to.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
The mage eyed Radia’s antics curiously but soon dismissed it from his mind.
“Then we’ll take over from here. Professor Aiden’s class…….”
He probed, and Aiden shook his head.
“I can’t withdraw now. I’ll join you.”
“As expected……!”
Expected my ass.
Radia pursed her lips.
Things were starting to feel increasingly childish.
Definitely that professor’s fault.
Being near him was contagious.
Sigh……
“Then could you handle another low-risk zone?”
“I’ll decline.”
“…Pardon?”
The mage looked utterly confused.
Aiden waved it off, showing discomfort.
“The Tower Master has fine talent on his team. Don’t you think?”
Speaking in a praising tone, the mage furrowed his brow.
“What do you…….”
“Trying to distract me with needless theatrics.”
Everyone else looked puzzled, but only the professor clicked his tongue as if it was obvious.
“Shouldn’t we be finding the contamination core by now? Or did the Tower Master say the tower handles its own affairs?”
“How did you……?”
“So if I insist on joining, assign me to some outer perimeter to circle uselessly?”
With no retort, Aiden smirked.
“You underestimate me too much.”
Radia felt a strange disconnect from Aiden’s sudden shift.
He’d been so laid-back, hands behind his back, needling them subtly, but now his eyes gleamed with intensity, like a different person.
“You think I wouldn’t know? Remove the core, and the low-risk zones clear up on their own. Sitting there achieves nothing.”
“Contamination core? We don’t know anything about…….”
Now he was sputtering, confirming suspicions.
Radia watched the mage desperately try to grasp the implication, failing utterly…
Aiden saw no need to hint, reciting facts plainly.
Information they’d never have learned staying with the students.
And the part Radia couldn’t comprehend most.
‘When?’
When the hell did he learn all that?
They’d been together the whole time.
Yet his words rang so true that the mage’s eyes widened at the first one.
“Hmm… The core’s centered on a tree, it seems. The rest around it look like eggshells. Something hatched, but you haven’t identified it yet, have you?”
Radia narrowed her eyes.
Nonsense.
Spouting random delusions—early-onset dementia?
But the mage’s expression was grave.
Aiden squinted, as if reading his face.
“You mistook me for a mind-reader.”
“What do you…….”
“Or why else visualize that kind of spell in your head? Hallucinatory magic to draw out the subconscious, perhaps.”
The mage broke into a cold sweat.
“Answer me—do you think I cast a spell on you?”
“N-no.”
“Then why suspect such magic?”
His unfocused eyes trembled.
His face screamed disbelief, like prey before a predator.
Aiden dropped the sly demeanor, patted his shoulder, and called it a joke.
“Just kidding. Don’t tense up. How could I know others’ thoughts? I just pieced it together. …Yes, when someone tries to deceive like you, it makes me want to play dirty without thinking.”
“…What do you want?”
Aiden smiled innocently, like a child with a new toy.
“I want to see the contamination core with my own eyes. It’ll be a valuable lesson for my students.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“Hahaha, such a mean joke.”
The mage bristled, veins bulging in his neck.
“Even if Professor Aiden is fine, the students……!”
He couldn’t finish.
Deep sapphire eyes, smile vanished.
Without a word, his gaze conveyed, ‘That’s not amusing.’
Even watching, Radia felt her breath catch at the aura.
Overwhelmed, the mage flinched.
He seemed to realize who he’d raised his voice at.
Aiden leaned close to the frozen mage, whispering slowly, syllable by syllable.
“Where I tread is the safest place. Remember that.”
The firm words rang in his ears, and the mage gulped, nodding frantically.
He hadn’t said it outright, but the implication was clear……
Know your place, or don’t test me again.
Such a warning hung unspoken.
Dismissing the mage, Aiden smiled contentedly.
The mage, who’d met Aiden alone, staggered as if drained of mana.
Once he vanished, Professor Aiden reverted to normal.
Normal here meaning bored ennui.
A burden for others just to be here, yet he lounged like on a stroll.
Radia glanced at Isel.
Isel shook her head.
‘Go ask.’
‘W-why me? You do it, Senior.’
‘Do as I say.’
Bad habits pass down, so Isel looked to Elin……
Well.
Elin’s expression boiled down to one word.
Tears welling, Isel stepped forward.
For some reason, Professor Aiden occasionally flustered Senior Radia, and Elin resented it.
The other students feared him, so she was the only one on familiar terms.
“Professor? What was that earlier?”
“About time to wrap up this field trip.”
Ending the trip was welcome.
But……
‘It feels like he said something profound.’
“What’s a contamination core?”
Aiden pointed to the purple ground.
A land that had greedily devoured every color, settling on cursed violet.
Often called cursed.
“The culprit behind this environmental disaster. Remove the core, and the contamination won’t spread further.”
Isel recalled his past words from the explanation.
‘You said it expands if left alone.’
“Remove the core… and it’s over.”
“Yes.”
One thing was certain: remove the core……
And the Magic Tower’s job ends.
Those thoughts reignited their fading embers.
Aiden smiled faintly, warning it wouldn’t be that easy.
“Naturally, a guardian protects the core.”
“Pardon?”
Guardian? Just like that?
The question rippled through the students.
Isel was no exception.
“A guardian?”
“Contamination spreads from the core in all directions. So the core’s location gathers the filthiest, most impure energy more than anywhere.”
Aiden probed if they had any guesses.
“…You mean where magic is most concentrated?”
“Half credit. Less concentration, more like a factory producing magic itself. Density unmatched.”
Which meant……
“Monsters grow more grotesque and powerful the more magic they absorb. A guardian refers to the monster protecting the core—won’t be weak.”
He spoke as if he knew something.
But left the rest for later delight, offering a cryptic smile.
The words halted at Radia.
“How’s the choice coming?”
“Pardon?”
Radia blinked in surprise at Aiden’s unexpected question.
Why so eager to hear it?
But soon, she buried the doubt in her chest.
He wouldn’t answer anyway.
He was just……
“I’m still waiting for your choice.”
Asking about her choice again, same as before.
Now it was time to decide.